Some news for you folks:
The European Commission is closely monitoring containerized imports from China due to concerns that the high U.S. tariffs will force a redirection of Trans-Pacific trade flows and flood Europe with Chinese goods.
Although the EU has not seen import volumes rise beyond normal seasonal patterns, a new “Import Surveillance Task Force” has been launched to track any unusual trade activity that might affect European Union industry.
The U.S. imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese imports starting April 9, which caused a rush to ship goods early, followed by a wave of cancelled cargo bookings. Some shippers are requesting containers already in-gated at Chinese origins not be loaded on ships, while others have asked that containers be pulled completely from port, according to a Trans-Pacific carrier executive.
Ships leaving China for the U.S. in the coming weeks are expected to be half-full as the cancellations continue, with significant blank sailings likely on the Trans-Pacific. Carriers are looking for other markets to utilize their capacity, and Southeast Asian origins are seeing a surge in ship utilization as shippers frontload exports from those nations to the U.S. to take advantage of a 90-day reprieve on reciprocal tariffs.
Chinese manufacturers are urgently looking for alternative markets to sell their surplus inventory, with Europe being a prime target due to its large consumer base. The European Commission is shoring up its defences against any influx of cheap Chinese products that could displace European-made goods.